What is Chelating Shampoo?

What is a Chelating Shampoo? you may ask? A Chelating shampoo is used for lifting mineral deposits that are in your hair due to hard water in your area. A regular shampoo cannot remove the mineral build up, these minerals can really bind into the hair and do not wash out. A clarifying shampoo will only remove product build up, not mineral build-up caused by hard water or chlorine deposits. 

Chelating Shampoos are only needed if you have hard water or you are a swimmer. If you get chalky water marks on your shower screen you have hard water. Also if you wash your hair and it stills feels coated this can be due to the hard water rather than the shampoo. Other signs that you have hard water is that your hair will feel dry (no matter how much you condition) and limp and may even brake off.

You can use a Chelating Shampoo once a week or month depending on how hard your water is . The Chelating agents in the shampoo are;

Disodium EDTA

Tetrasodium EDTA

Sodium Citrate AKA Trisodium Citrate

PH levels of hair

   Potential Hydrogen (pH)

The pH, is the measurement of how acidic or alkali a substance is. This is measured on a scale of 0 to 14. Hair has a pH value of 4.5 and 5.5 this can be a good indicator if you are using the correct products for your hair and scalp.  A pH of 7 is considered neutral  anything above 7 is alkaline and any below 7 is considered acid based.

If you disrupt the natural pH balance this can lead to fungi and bacterial growth. The incorrect correct pH balance also affect your cuticle. If a product is too alkaline this will cause your cuticle to open. If a product is too acidic the cuticle will contract.

 If you have dandruff , fungi or bacteria on your scalp you are washing your hair with a product of a pH above 7 making your scalp too alkali. You are stripping away all of your sebum (which is acidic)

most shampoos will be more alkaline and have citric acid added to them to lower to pH. Too much citric acid can dry out the scalp and hair.

 When looking for the pH of shampoo it should be on the acid side, this will be better for your hair and scalp as it is milder. Most shampoos have a pH value of 7 or 8.  Shampoos designed to give you volume will have the highest pH value making it more alkaline, this will plump up your hair shaft making it full. This is bad for your hair as it leaves the cuticle open to all sorts of damage caused by everyday styling.

Lemon juice and vinegar have a pH value of 2 or 3 and baking soda has a pH of 8 or 9 which is why it makes your hair feel like straw. I would never recommend baking soda for your hair or scalp for this reason.

Co-washing update and Silicones!

Well Co-washing is amazing but, and there is a but a big BUT! you have to get the correct conditioner if you are going to use it instead of shampoo. So what I discovered is to avoid all conditioners (and shampoos) with Cones in (silicones that is). The problem with silicones is that they form a seal round your hair shaft. This prevents anything being absorbed into the hair shaft leading to dry brittle hair. The silicone coating on your hair will make it feel very soft and silky but can also make your hair limp and greasy depending on your hair type. Using these products daily means that any deep conditioning treatments or hair oils you apply will not be able to penetrate the hair because of the silicones present.

So when I used a conditioner with silicone in it made my hair limp, waxy, heavy and greasy. I have now switched to a silicone free one and my hair is much more bouncy and less limp. I will continue Co-washing and maybe wash my hair once a week with a gentle clarifying shampoo just to keep residue at build up at bay. I don't want waxy hair ever again!

There are two types of silicones, water soluble and non water soluble ones. The water soluble one will cause the least amount of build up for your hair. For non water soluble silicones you will need a good clarifying shampoo to remove them. Here is a list of what to look out for when shopping for products;

Water based silicones are called;                             
dimethicone copolyol 
lauryl methicone copolyol 
amodimethicone
Hydrolized wheat protein 
hydroxypropyl polysiloxane

Non water based silicones are called;
trimethylsiloxysilicates 
trimethylsilylamodimethic 
amodimethicone
phenyl trimethicone 
dimethicone/ol
cyclomethicone 
cyclopentasiloxane 

IMPORTANT UPDATE

 Some people have have experienced excess shedding from co- washing I cannot find any evidence on this, just what some people have claimed. My conclusion would be that depending on what conditioners you use , the type of hair you have and any other medical issues. Other factors to consider is that the conditioner coats the hair weighting it down (possibly silicone based conditioners)  or the conditioner blocks the hair follicles at the roots. 

What is Co-Washing?

So I am ever searching for the perfect natural alternative to conventional shampoos, because lets face it traditional shampoo is amazing  at the moment I can find nothing that matches up to its cleaning properties.

The downside to traditional shampoos is that you will  find that they are very drying and irritating to the scalp. This can cause a whole host of problems such as dandruff ,contact dermatitis and dry brittle hair that knots and tangles quickly.

Shampoo is a harsh cleaning agent due to an ingredient called Sodium Laureth Sulfate. This is one of the most common ingredients in your Drug Store shampoo.

So while researching I came across a method called Co-washing, this is where you wash your hair with conditioners only. This method keeps the moisture and natural oils in your hair.

How to co-wash

Wash your hair as normal, you will not get a lather as you are using a conditioner instead, just work well into your scalp with the tips of your fingers, make sure you rinse your hair really well. Just use a little more conditioner than you would normally use.

 I have not tested this out yet but in theory it sounds like a pretty good idea. I like the idea that it preserves the natural oils in your hair. Other benefits is that it helps reduce knots and tangles and keeps your scalp hydrated. Using a natural organic conditioner may give you a better result and you will cutting back on the chemicals that are found in conventional products.

I will try this and give you an update if I end up with soft hair or lank locks.


IMPORTANT UPDATE

 Some people have have experienced excess shedding from co- washing I cannot find any evidence on this, just what some people have claimed. My conclusion would be that depending on what conditioners you use , the type of hair you have and any other medical issues. Other factors to consider is that the conditioner coats the hair weighting it down (possibly silicone based conditioners)  or the conditioner blocks the hair follicles at the roots.